Terms Used In Texas Property Code Chapter 221 - Texas Timeshare Act

• Accommodation: means any apartment, condominium or cooperative unit, hotel or motel room, cabin, lodge, or other private or commercial structure that:
  (A) is affixed to real property;
  (B) is designed for occupancy or use by one or more individuals; and
  (C) is part of a timeshare plan. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Adjourn: A motion to adjourn a legislative chamber or a committee, if passed, ends that day's session.
• Advertisement: means any written, oral, or electronic communication that is directed to or targeted at individuals in this state and contains a promotion, inducement, or offer to sell a timeshare interest, including a promotion, inducement, or offer to sell:
  (A) contained in a brochure, pamphlet, or radio or television transcript;
  (B) communicated by electronic media or telephone; or
  (C) solicited through direct mail. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Affidavit: means a statement in writing of a fact or facts signed by the party making it, sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths, and officially certified to by the officer under his seal of office. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Amenities: means all common areas and includes recreational and maintenance facilities of the timeshare plan. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Association: means a council or association composed of all persons who have purchased a timeshare interest. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bankruptcy: Refers to statutes and judicial proceedings involving persons or businesses that cannot pay their debts and seek the assistance of the court in getting a fresh start. Under the protection of the bankruptcy court, debtors may discharge their debts, perhaps by paying a portion of each debt. Bankruptcy judges preside over these proceedings.
• Board: means the governing body of a timeshare association designated in a project instrument to act on behalf of the association. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Commission: means the Texas Real Estate Commission. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Component site: means a specific geographic location where accommodations that are part of a multisite timeshare plan are located. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Comptroller: means the state comptroller of public accounts. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Developer: means :
  (A) any person, excluding a sales agent, who creates a timeshare plan or is in the business of selling timeshare interests or employs a sales agent to sell timeshare interests; or
  (B) any person who succeeds in the developer's interest by sale, lease, assignment, mortgage, or other transfer if the person:
  (i) offers at least 12 timeshare interests in a particular timeshare plan; and
  (ii) is in the business of selling timeshare interests or employs a sales agent to sell timeshare interests. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• disposition: means a voluntary transfer of any legal or equitable timeshare interest but does not include the transfer or release of a real estate lien or of a security interest. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Effects: includes all personal property and all interest in that property. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
• Escrow agent: means a bonded escrow company, a financial institution whose accounts are insured by a governmental agency or instrumentality, or an attorney or title insurance agent licensed in this state who is responsible for the receipt and disbursement of funds in accordance with this chapter. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Exchange company: means any person who owns or operates an exchange program. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Exchange disclosure statement: means a written statement that includes the information required by § 221. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Exchange program: means any method, arrangement, or procedure for the voluntary exchange of timeshare interests among purchasers or owners. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Executive session: A portion of the Senate's daily session in which it considers executive business.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. ^{Source: OCC}
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Incidental use right: means the right to use accommodations and amenities at one or more timeshare properties that is not guaranteed and is administered by the managing entity of the timeshare properties that makes vacant accommodations at the timeshare properties available to owners of timeshare interests in the timeshare properties. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Managing entity: means the person responsible for operating and maintaining a timeshare property. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Month: means a calendar month. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
• Multisite timeshare plan: means a plan in which a timeshare purchaser has:
  (A) a specific timeshare interest, which is the right to use and occupy accommodations at a specific timeshare property and the right to use and occupy accommodations at one or more other component sites created by or acquired solely through the reservation system of the timeshare plan; or
  (B) a nonspecific timeshare interest, which is the right to use and occupy accommodations at more than one component site created by or acquired solely through the reservation system of the timeshare plan but which does not include a right to use and occupy a particular accommodation. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• offer: means any advertisement, inducement, or solicitation and includes any attempt to encourage a person to purchase a timeshare interest other than as a security for an obligation. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Population: means the population shown by the most recent federal decennial census. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Probation officers: Screen applicants for pretrial release and monitor convicted offenders released under court supervision.
• Project instrument: means a timeshare instrument or one or more recordable documents, by whatever name denominated, applying to the whole of a timeshare project and containing restrictions or covenants regulating the use, occupancy, or disposition of units in a project, including a declaration for a condominium, association articles of incorporation, association bylaws, and rules for a condominium in which a timeshare plan is created. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Promotion: means any program, activity, contest, or gift, prize, or other item of value used to induce any person to attend a timeshare sales presentation. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Purchaser: means any person, other than a developer, who by means of a voluntary transfer acquires a legal or equitable interest in a timeshare interest other than as a security for an obligation. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
• Reservation system: means the method, arrangement, or procedure by which a purchaser, in order to reserve the use and occupancy of an accommodation of a multisite timeshare plan for one or more timeshare periods, is required to compete with other purchasers in the same multisite timeshare plan, regardless of whether the reservation system is operated and maintained by the multisite timeshare plan, a managing entity, an exchange company, or any other person. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Rule: includes regulation. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Signature: includes the mark of a person unable to write, and "subscribe" includes the making of such a mark. See Texas Government Code 312.011
• Single-site timeshare plan: means a timeshare plan in which a timeshare purchaser's right to use and occupy accommodations is limited to a single timeshare property. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Timeshare disclosure statement: means a written statement that includes the information required by § 221. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare estate: means an arrangement under which the purchaser receives a right to occupy a timeshare property and an estate interest in the real property. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare instrument: means a master deed, master lease, declaration, or any other instrument used in the creation of a timeshare plan. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare interest: means a timeshare estate or timeshare use. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare period: means the period within which the purchaser of a timeshare interest is entitled to the exclusive possession, occupancy, and use of an accommodation. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare plan: means any arrangement, plan, scheme, or similar method, excluding an exchange program but including a membership agreement, sale, lease, deed, license, or right-to-use agreement, by which a purchaser, in exchange for consideration, receives an ownership right in or the right to use accommodations for a period of time less than a year during a given year, but not necessarily consecutive years. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare property: means :
  (A) one or more accommodations and any related amenities subject to the same timeshare instrument; and
  (B) any other property or property rights appurtenant to the accommodations and amenities. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Timeshare use: means any arrangement under which the purchaser receives a right to occupy a timeshare property, but under which the purchaser does not receive an estate interest in the timeshare property. See Texas Property Code 221.002
• Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• United States: includes a department, bureau, or other agency of the United States of America. See Texas Government Code 311.005
• Week: means seven consecutive days. See Texas Government Code 311.005